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Current work site: Balaklava (Crimea)
Head of expedition: Svetlana Adaksina

The Expedition was started in 1989 (initially as the Alushta Archaeological Expedition) to explore the mediaeval archaeological sites across Crimea and has worked in partnership with the Crimean Office of the Archaeology Institute, National Academy of Sciences, Ukraine.

In 1989–1993, the Expedition performed excavations on the Byzantine fortress of Aluston (modern Alushta) built on the order of the Byzantine emperor Justin I in the 6th c. The most exciting find on the site is a hoard of 17 silver bullions with a total weight of ca. 3.5 kg.

In 1994–1997 conservations excavations were conducted on the 10th - 16th c. monastery on Mount Ayu-Dag.

Between 1998 and 2001, the Expedition explored one of the most famous Christian shrines in mediaeval Crimea, the St. Peter and Paul Basilica in Partenit (10th–15th c.), at the foot of Mount Ayu-Dag. In 2002, the South Crimean Expedition launched systematic long-term works on the Genoese fortress of Cembalo (14th–15th c.) in modern Balaklava, 12 km from Sevastopol. Until 2001, Balaklava used to accommodate a submarine base of the Black Sea Navy, so access to the city was restricted precluding any archaeological works in the area. At present, the Hermitage team is implementing the first-ever large-scale project exploring Cembalo’s fortification structures, religious buildings and houses, many of which are marvellously well preserved (some fortification towers have survived to nearly their full height). The absence of modern buildings makes the fortress particularly valuable for archaeological study.

As a result of the Cembalo Fortress project, three towers and the adjacent structures associated with the east defence line have been excavated; one of the towers and part of the fortress citadel have been explored; three Christian temples with cemeteries and the residential buildings along the curtain wall of the fortress’s east defence line have been fully unearthed. The gross area excavated since the start of the project has exceeded 2000 m2. The landmark finds include a fresco of Our Lady with the Infant Jesus, which had remained hidden in the barbican of the portal tower. The fresco was completely restored from minute fragments by the State Hermitage restoration experts A.V. Stepanov and E.P. Stepanova. Over 400 archaeologists have contributed their efforts to the Expedition, including the State Hermitage experts, students from St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev and Simferopol, as well as volunteers. All field seasons proceeded with direct participation or consultancy support of V.L. Myts. In 1998–2005, architectural works were supervised by V.P. Kirilko. A.V. Myts has been the permanent architect of the Expedition since 2007. The numismatic materials are processed by I.V. Volkov. A.V. Stepanov and E.P. Stepanova remain the Expedition’s permanent restoration experts. For many years now, A.N. Novikova has been in charge of the field processing of all pottery finds. All the 10 reports of the Expedition have been typeset by M.K. Adaksin. The work of the Expedition would have been impossible without the unyielding support of S.V. Ushakov, Senior Researcher of the Crimean Branch of the Archaeology Institute (National Academy of Sciences, Ukraine), and N.V. Ginkut and N.A. Alekseenko, experts of the Tauric Chersonese National Museum-Reserve.

The Cembalo Fortress has yielded new, highly stratified archaeological material which provides an excellent picture of the housing construction and the development of mediaeval urban infrastructure.